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The Chat House
With Tony Kornheiser
and Michael Wilbon
Washington Post Columnists
Friday, March 30, 2001;
1:30 p.m. EDT
Are you a sports junkie? Can't get enough of Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon fighting each other in the sports and style pages of The Washington Post? It's your chance to talk to both gurus LIVE!
Wilbon will be calling into The Chat House from Minneapolis, MN where he is covering the Final Four tournament.
Submit questions before or during today's discussion.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to The Chat House on the eve of one of the greatest days in sports. We had to change the time of The Chat today because Wilbon is in Minneapolis and has to cover the Maryland press conference this afternoon. Mike will be joining us by phone. Tony is here in Washington w/me, so let's get started. Tony since you're always here on time... opening thoughts? --Mary
Let's roll bussy. --Tony
Hi. I'm here at time. Whuz up? I'm in the only place to be: Minneapolis, MN in the Metrodome. Aren't ALL you people jealous? Rarely am I so happy to be someplace where it's 36 degrees and threatening to snow. --Mike
Oakton, VA:
No way the Terps win. No way, no how, no sir. Duke is not the better team, but they will whip the Terps by at least ten points because that is what they do: win big when the chips are down.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: That's fine for you to say from a historical point of view, but in the last 4 times, MD has played Duke, MD has won twice and should have won once more at least. SO, in this case, you are simply wrong. You really are. Duke may win this game. It's a great program and has the 2 best players in college b-ball. But, this is one game that MD wants to play and Duke doesn't. --Tony
I'm not going to be real patient today w/these sweeping declarations of "this has to happen" or "that can't possibly happen." It's 4 damn evenly matched teams. And if you can't see that, then you really don't have much sophistication about college b-ball. You can easily make a case for any of the 4 teams winning the whole thing. So don't tell me what definitively has to happen or can happen when we are talking about 4 evenly matched teams w/a bunch of 20 year olds. --Mike
Alexandria, Va.:
Tony,
Thank you for your comments today
regarding the commercial using Martin
Luther King's speech and likeness. Dr.
King is the only public figure of my lifetime
that I can unhesitatingly call a hero. He
persistently and with great courage,
dignity and eloquence held a mirror up to
white America and made us look at the
truth of race relations in this country until
our horror and shame could no longer be
contained. He did all this without seeking
political office or monetary gain. Some
things just should not be subjected to
commercialization. Thanks again.
Will Greene
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Thank you. --Tony
Jacksonville, Fflorida 32210:
Has Maryland moved up in rating since beating Stanford?
Why wasnt Gary Williams considered for coach of the year. What did Pat Doherty do that Mr. Williams didnt do to deserve this award?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: First of all it's Matt Doherty. Gary Williams should not be coach of the year. He finished 3rd in his conference w/a veteran team that finished behind 2 teams that were picked ahead of him. I like Gary. Mike does too. But neither of us would vote for him for coach of the year. My top 3 coach of the year candidates are: Al Skinner of Boston College, Phil Martelli of St. Joe's and Mike Montgomery of Stanford b/c he went through the regular season w/the best record of all. --Tony
Coach of the year is Tom Izzo. Period. He lost his 2 best players to the pros, stuck in some kids and he's back in the Final Four. Tom Izzo. ---Mike
I don't know that there are ratings between the start of the tournament and the end. Are there Mike? --Tony
No. And why would you pay attention to the rankings when the teams are playing? Shut off the computer and watch the games the moment you sign off w/us. --Mike
Lanham, MD:
What's your take on Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus Williams?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: I wrote a whole column about this. You can read it on washingtonpost.com. But in short, he did a fine job as a father raising 2 daughters in a culture -- youth tennis culture -- which claims a lot of victims. But, he's an extremist guy who is not for mainstream consumption. He says outrageous things, in part b/c that's who he is, and in part, b/c now he knows he can be quoted all over the place from Time Magazine to ESPN Sports Center. The only thing more extreme and irresponsible than some of the stuff Richard Williams says is our feeling compelled to quote him all the time in the name of something he says being news, 99 percent of the time, it ain't news and it ain't worthy of reporting... but we do anyway. He is a seriously complex man who has a lot of issues b/c of who he is and the way he grew up in this country at a particular time and place and we would need an entire hour to get into that and even then a lot of people would never understand him and others would choose not to. --Mike
He did a wonderful job in raising his daughters to become tennis champs. They are great players and now his continued controversial presence is putting undue and unfair pressure on his children. --Tony
Chicago, IL:
This one's for Tony:
With your known love for both, what would you rather watch, the women's Final Four or Survivor?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: I will watch the Women's Final Four for as long as I can stand it. I want to watch Jackie Stiles and I'm pretty sure I can watch CT against Notre Dame. The guards are great fun to watch and the big people can't catch and run. But, it's not supposed to be men's b-ball. If I had to pick between the Women's Final Four and the last episode of Survivor, I would pick Survivor. --Tony
I'm sick of all of this old man bashing of women's basketball. I'm really tired of it. I'm not joking. Everyone has their tolerance issues from generation to generation and if people don't want to watch it, then don't. But I'm really sick of the tone and ridicule of the discussion in terms of women's b-ball in particular. Women's tennis is different than men's tennis. Neither one of the Williams sisters or Davenport or Hingis could take 3 games off Pete Sampras. But we don't spend a lot of time comparing women's tennis to men's or ridiculing women's tennis b/c it isn't men's. --Mike
First of all, nobody ridiculed women's basketball. Second of all who died and made you Betty Friedan? Third of all, none of those women could take one game off of Pete Sampras and you know it! --Tony
That just underscores my point.... --Mike
What is your point? --Tony
There is ridicule of women's b-ball. Don't give me that crap. You are one of them. I know what I read and hear. I'm not illiterate. --Mike
Go out and put out a pinafore and play women's b-ball if that what's you want. I'm not ridiculing it, I just don't care to see it. --Tony
Then don't watch it. --Mike
I do like women's tennis. I love women's golf. I love women's track. Don't paint me w/this brush of sexism. It's crap to do that. I like women's skating. I just don't like women's b-ball. --Tony
Fine. I'm talking about this fashionable wave of men sportswriters bashing women's basketball. It's 24-7. I didn't accuse you of not liking women's sports. I'm talking about women's b-ball and the treatment of it and the constant comparison of it to men's b-ball when other women's sports are not compared to their men's counterparts. --Mike
Fine. Good. --Tony
Greenbelt, MD:
Who do you think will win the women's tournament?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: A good follow-up. --Mary
The winner of CT/Notre Dame. ---Tony
Southwest Missouri State. The story of Jackie Stiles may be similar to the story of Larry Bird. Of course, Bird lost in his NCAA Finals. But, I think Stiles leading her team to victory would be a great story. --Mike
Fairfax, VA:
Well Mr. Wilbon, since it is cold I guess you aren't playing golf, huh? Thats alright cause you are in the best place in the world right now. Whats it like out there? the excitement, etc.?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: The Final Four is now the 2nd biggest sports party in America and has been close to 15 years. It's very different from the Super Bowl in that there is so much passion from groups of people and it's not all about the betting line like the Super Bowl. It's a smaller event and confined to a smaller area and for that reason, it's got a small town feel to it, a certain communal feel b/c everyone is walking the same streets, there aren't a lot of limos. And while there are a lot of corporate sponsors, it's not like the Super Bowl or All Star weekend where everything is given over to corporate tents. People actually have to save their pennies and make a sacrifice to come to this. A lot of MD alums, students and supporters could not afford to go w/little notice to go to Boise. They had to plan ahead and buy non-refundable tickets to go to Minneapolis and hope that MD would make it this far. And I'm sure it's the same w/the people at the 3 other schools. This is not another high roller convention like the Super Bowl or All Star weekend. --Mike
Silver Spring MD:
Gentlemen: Why do all announcers and writers give MD so much credit for giving Duke close games? Duke has won 3 of the last 4 games the two teams have played (please check your facts Tony -- You left out the 2000 ACC tourney game), and Duke lost 1 game this year to MD when its starting center broke his foot midway through a game Duke was leading. I realize there is home cooking in the media, but this is a bit ridiculous.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: I admit to being a homer in this case. I'm rooting for Maryland. I forgot the 2000 ACC Tournament. You're right. The reason people give MD a lot of credit for giving Duke close games is b/c they've given Duke close game after close game after close game and nobody else has done that and my job as a columnist is not to be objective. It seems obvious to me that you're a Duke fan and that's fine. But I believe in my heart that Maryland can win this game and I would not have believed that in NCAAs over the last 5 years. --Tony
Just what Tony said. What do you want? ESPN has seen fit to make 3 of the last 4 Duke games "Instant Classics." These have been great, great games. --Mike
Toronto, ON:
I just read that G.W.B. wants to bring baseball back to Washington. Is he serious? How much clout does he have to help it happen?
- Tim Ayers
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: He's got big clout b/c he's not only the President of the United States, he used to be the owner of the Texas Rangers. He has a good working relationship w/Bud Selig and so maybe the next team that moves -- and nobody has moved in 20 years -- will move to Washington, DC. Good. I'm happy. I'd like that. --Tony
The story is just out. I don't know how much clout he has. When you realize how stupid the baseball owners are, they don't listen to anybody. YOu think Peter Angelos, Mr. Brilliant, listens to anybody? I don't know where this is going to wind up. It would close the circle if the trouble Minnesota Twins were to move back to Washington. I'm sure that would bring a lot of joy to people. --Mike
Wouldn't bring joy to people in Minnesota. --Tony
Arlinton(Crystal City), VA:
Howdy and Happy Friday to the good folks in the Chat Room. This is for Tony, funnier-than-Dave-BarryKornheiser: what are you going to do if your "MAN," ole nine-toes, sticks with baseball and doesn't come back to play for the deadskins?
-This is for all: will the NFL survive without head bandanas since it survived the XFL?
V/R
RLH3 -
Pres: Hall of Fame Hogettes Fan Club
Pres: Tony Kornheiser Fan Club
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: I have to admit that I was surprised that the player's association seemed to be caught unaware of the owner's move to get rid of do-rags and bandanas. I think first of my man, Deion Sanders, and whether this will drive him from the NFL completely and keep him in a Reds uniform forever. Look, there is a reason that they use the term "uniform." They want everyone in football to look alike. This is not the free speech league. --Tony
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Mike has to go and cover the press conference. It's starting early. So he has to leave now. Tony will stay in The Chat House until 2:30. Is that LOVE or what? --Mary
The official Final Four activities have started here in the Midwest. So I'm off to do something approaching real work. So have fun. Enjoy the games. --Mike
Reston VA:
Tony
Show some love for your man Deion- we need him!
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: I'm not in the LOVE business Reston. I'm in the sports writing and radio business. --Tony
And the Web. --Mary
Screw the Web. --Tony
I want Deion to come back and play for the Redskins. He is a go to guy for me. But if he doesn't want to and he wants to play baseball, then the Danny gets hosed and the Danny made a bad deal. --Tony
SS, MD:
OK, House-ferrets, does this make you bitter?
I'm listening to WTEM and Gary Williams is on a call-in show and somebody calls in and says, "hey Gary, glad you stuck it out and didn't let it get to you when the MEDIA wanted you fired mid-season..."
My jaw dropped when I heard that, since, as I recall, the people saying "Fire Gary Williams" were the knucklehead callers on talk radio, and the actual writers/talk show hosts (yourselves included) were telling them they were insane/idiots...
Ah, well. Squeak out!
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Yeah. There are plenty of people who listen to sports talk who don't want to fire everyone in town, but the engine that drives sports talk and in particular drives callers (and most hosts as well) is : who can fire today? Who didn't win last night and needs to be fired today? The mistake coaches make is listening to the radio, but thank god they do so I can send my children to college. --Tony
Sox Fan, DC:
Quick baseball questions:
Why shouldn't the Red Sox be entitled to dock Everett some pay for not only breaking team rules, but for being an overall idiot? Can the player's union look any worse for knee-jerkingly taking the palyer's side every time?
Also, MLB charging for games over the Internet? I thought they were trying to expand their fan base. What a bunch of idiots.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: This Carl Everett-Jimy Williams situation is awful and is untenable and can not work. The Red Sox just hit this guy w/a $97,000 fine for missing a bus. Clearly the Red Sox hate him and clearly he hates the Red Sox. Something has got to give and it's either going to be Jimy Williams or Carl Everett. Everett has been trouble for them since day one, but the player's union takes his side b/c he is a player and their job is to put the best spin on a situation even a ludicrous situation. As for the charge on the Internet was $10 for the whole season. Let's put this in persepctive, $10 for the whole freakin' season. Or maybe it's $10 a month, I don't know. Don't listen on the Internet. Listen on the radio, where it's free. The only time you should go on the Internet is for The Chat House... which is free. --Tony
Brian from Minneapolis:
Gee, Tony, and how high is the Danny's "Bad Deal Count" right now? So Deion decides to stay with the Reds all year. What's one more bad deal?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Brian, I don't blame Snyder for getting Deion. I don't blame Snyder for getting Bruce Smith or Jeff George. The guy tried to pump excitement into a team that had been losing for a long time. The guy tried a quick fix. Now he has brought in Marty Schottenheimer who seems determined to cut enough players until he starts the season w/4 men on offense and 6 on defense. Good Luck. --Tony
Bethesda, MD:
Hey guys,
Quick question. How good is Richard Hamilton and will he progress into a star? And if he does will the Wizards lose him when his contract is up? Thanks.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Richard Hamilton is a wonderful offensive player who is still 25 lbs. too light and he does not appear to play any defense whatsoever. Look at the scoring of the men he guards. The Wizards won't lose him. By the time he's ready to make big money, they'll have big money. If they lose him, it will be b/c they don't want him. --Tony
Warshington, D.C.:
Given Les Boullez history with tall "project" centers, do you think Yao Ming would be a great fit with the Wizzards? He does seem much more promising then the previous (bol, Murisan). Personally, I'd prefer to see them draft a promising college player, Jason Williams perhaps.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: You people have been listening to Wilbon too much. Did you see Jing-Jing in Dallas the other day? He has NO upper body whatsoever. He is Shawn Bradley. Leslie Visser who went to China to do a piece for HBO on Yao Ming told me he has no upper body strength at all and doesn't like to lift weights. If that is true, he will be ZERO as a player. If I have the pick and Jason Williams is on the board, I'm taking Jason Williams. --Tony
Fairfax:
Tony, was that you last night getting in that fight in the penalty box?
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: No. That was my 2nd cousin Tie Domi. He is called "The Albanian Aggressor." My opinion is that the fan who fell into the penalty box trying to punch Domi should be arrested, tried and convicted of being an imbecile. And if he got punched by Domi... good. There is no place in sports for some idiot to rush the field or the penalty box and threaten the players. That's not part of the privilege you get when you buy a ticket. --Tony
DC:
This is an amazing, talented Final Four, and it seems to me that any of the remaining teams could concievable win it all. That said, has there EVER been a college team that rebounds the way Michigan St. does? They are relentless. I had my doubts about their chances of repeating, but their rebounding and defense give them a lot of room for error on offense and in sloppy games.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: What can I say to this? That's your analysis. Has there EVER been team that rebounds like MSU? I'm sure there has been. You know how you stop rebounding? You make your shots then there is nothing to rebound. You know how you stop Michigan State from offensive rebounding, you box out it's fundamental. I think MSU can win this thing, just like you do. I agree w/you that all 4 teams can win. So, I'm happy for you and I hope YOU are happy for ME! --Tony
Cupertino, CA:
Tony
I liked your column on Sunday, and I know you're a big Dylan fan, but I thought you were overly hard on him. Have you listened to his latest albumn Time Out of Mind (released in '97)? It's a really good albumn. He isn't washed up yet. He's still a lot of fun on tour. Keep up the good work you two,
Mike
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Mike, thank you. I love Bob Dylan, but I can not resist the opportunity to make fun of him, you, Mary or me. --Tony
Can I wear a swan dress like Bjork into the Chat House next week? --Mary
Absolutely. --Tony
Sweet. --Mary
As long as you don't sing like Bjork. --Tony
I think I like Chanel better like J-Lo. --Mary
Unplugged, California:
Tony and Mike-
Why should the Grizzlies and Hornets corner the Memphis market -- can we just ship the Wizzards there as well? Thanks,
Paul
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: Paul, since when did Memphis become prime real estate in America? All they have in Memphis is FedEx planes and Elvis impersonators. I would happily ship them there if I could bring a new team in here. But Wilbon is the one to talk to about this b/c he believes the Wizards are going about this whole rebuilding process correctly. He's younger than I, so he has more years to wait. --Tony
University Park, Md:
Love the show, however last week Wilbon said Stanford won "almost EVERY" meeting between them and UMD. Md is 3-0 against Stanford all-time, ie. Stanford has NEVER won.
Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon: So, you have unlocked the key to Wilbon. He makes statements and makes them LOUDLY and he has NO idea if they are correct and that's what we love about him. In that column, he said "Casey Jacobsen was the 2nd best player in college basketball." Duke has 2 players on its team better than Jacobsen. Battier and Williams. This is what we do in sports writing we make grandiose statements to fit our point of view and we hope you aren't paying attention. On that note, I'm leaving now. And I don't think anyone will miss me for the next 8 hours. Mary, it's all you baby. --Tony
Uh-oh. Well, do you want to talk about fashion or dating? I think I'll make my exit too. So, thanks for joining us again this week! We love you people! And even though my ex-boyfriend is a MD fan/alum/ferret, I'm a homer like Tony and will be rooting for the Terps too while I'm in Dallas over the weekend So, enjoy the games tomorrow and we'll be back here next week!! Regular time 2pm EST. --Mary
washingtonpost.com:
That was our last question today. Thanks to [Tony and Mike], and to everyone who joined us in The Chat House.
Stay tuned on Live Online:
Eric
Brace: Nightwatch Live at 3 p.m. EST
NCAA:
Johnny Holliday at 3 p.m. EST
TV:
Lisa de Moraes at 3 p.m. EST
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